Chinese Diplomacy, Raptor Style

The old Vulcan proverb goes, “Only Nixon could go to China.” If Leonard Nimoy were alive today, and they were filming Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, they might have changed the line to, “Only Ford could go to China.” The first U.S.-built Ford F-Series trucks to be sold in China are on their way. Oh and yeah, they’re Raptors.

The first batch of 2017 Ford Raptors heading to China are boarding boats now and making the trip around the world to eager customers. There are some subtle differences between the U.S.-spec Raptors and the ones heading to China — notice the headlights — but they’re more-or-less unchanged where it counts. That means they’re powered by a 450 horsepower EcoBoost V6 that also makes 510 lb-ft of torque. The Chinese will experience their own “Shock and Awe.”

The global Raptor is built at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Raptor joins some Ford Performance vehicles already in China, like the Ford GT, Focus RS, plus the ST cousins.

So good news if you’re Chinese, reading this in English, and have a Raptor ordered. It’s on the way!

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Chad Kirchner is the Editor-in-Chief of Future Motoring, along with the main host and producer of the Future Motoring podcast. In addition to his work here, he's a freelance automotive journalist for outlets around the world.